


Death Days- aragon and howard

by leonathelion



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Fluff and Angst, death days, kitty cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:55:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24782689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonathelion/pseuds/leonathelion
Summary: aragon- january 7- heart cancerhoward- February 13- executed by beheadingThe first new year after all six queens returned was the first year of experiencing what they affectionately referred to as 'death days'....
Relationships: Catherine of Aragon & Katherine Howard
Comments: 11
Kudos: 80





	Death Days- aragon and howard

Death days were hard. That should have been obvious, most anniversaries from their past lives, whether they had been good or bad, were painful. The baby animal calendar in the kitchen was full of sparkly gel pen marks, denoting birthdays and wedding anniversaries and children’s birthdays. However, none of them had experienced a death day until the first late winter all six had been present for. 

Catherine had been fee ling odd for the past few days. Not bad, not sick, simply...odd. She was more tired and felt like she had less energy than normal, but chalked it up to the gloomy weather and post-holiday blues. She did not bother informing anyone of her state, thinking it to be irrelevant. 

Kat, the most empathetic of the queens, had picked up on Catherine’s shift in demeanor but chose to not say anything. She knew Catherine didn’t like to be doted on, and would rather power through whatever was ailing her. 

Kat woke up early, too early. She had a restless sleep, not quite a nightmare but definitely not pleasant dreams. She wiggled around on her bed, unable to get comfortable. She sighed and rolled on her side, plucking her phone off her nightstand and checking the time. Six eighteen. Catherine wouldn’t be up for a bit, but wouldn’t turn away Kat and cuddles.

The blanket Jane knitted for her around her shoulders like a cape and Princess Sparkle Bling Bling in her arms, Kat slipped in Catherine’s room.

“Catherine?” Catherine could only manage a groan, her eyes fluttering as she tried to see who was standing at her side. “Catherine, please!” She knew that voice. 

“Kat.” She rasped. Something soft was dropped beside the eldest queen. “I’m gonna get help.” Catherine heard Kat running off.

Kat woke everyone up, sans her cousin, who could not be woken up before ten am without the help of a bulldozer and the promise of nutella on her pancakes. 

Jane held Kitty in her arms, watching Cathy and Anna examine Catherine from the latter’s doorway. Kat was sniffling, trying very hard to not cry. It was clear to the young girl that there was something wrong with the other Catherine, and unfortunately Kat was one to jump to the worst conclusions. 

Cathy smoothed a hand over her godmother’s brow and sighed. “The doctors warned us about this.” She murmured. “She’s reliving dying. Not actually, she doesn’t have cancer or anything, but just the sensation.” Anna bit her lip and looked behind her at the teary Kat in Jane’s arms.

“Are we all gonna go through this?” Cathy didn’t meet Anna’s eyes. She shrugged. “I think so.” 

“She’s not dying, Kit.” Cathy placated for the fourth time. Kat ignored her in favour of curling up at Catherine’s side and nuzzling her face into her shoulder. 

“She’s in pain.” Cathy heaved a breath at the younger girl’s words. “She is. But unfortunately she has to wait it out. You staying with her will help.”

Kat refused the breakfast Anna brought her, falling back asleep with Princess Sparkle Bling Bling in her arms and her blanket carefully covering both her and Catherine. Despite herself and despite the situation, Anna snapped a picture of the two on her phone. She knew Catherine kept an album on her phone of pictures of Kat, and this would make a good addition. 

“Catherine?” Blearily, the first queen squinted through the hazy light at whoever was holding her hand and rubbing the back of it. Lord above, she was  _ hurting _ . “Catherine, can you look at me?”

Catherine had to clear her throat several times before managing a soft  _ Mary? _

Katherine smiled, sadly. “No Catherine, it’s Kat. Kitty. You’re in the twenty-first century, remember?” 

With a groan, Catherine let her head fall back and she closed her eyes. She felt something soft and damo run across her forehead and cheeks, alleviating some of the sweatiness she felt. “I’m sorry Catherine, I’m really sorry. But there’s nothing I can do. Cathy says you gotta wait it out.” 

Catherine could hear the upset tone of her ward’s voice, and wanted to assure her she would be fine, Kat would be fine, everything would be fine. But she couldn’t. Her chest ached, she felt ill, she was hot and feverish and just wanted to sleep.

Despite the feeling of her heart rotting away in her chest, her maternal side and her love for the girl hovering over her won out, and Catherine managed to lift a shaky hand and place it on her cheek. Kat leaned into her touch, making a content humming noise. “Stay with me?” Catherine rasped. Kat’s answer came in the form of making sure Catherine was comfortable before curling up at her side, pressing a kiss to her cheek. 

When Catherine woke next, she was alone, Kitty’s pink bear in her arms and a movie playing quietly on Kit’s laptop. She was feeling better, her aches were ebbing away and she could think more clearly. 

She lay quietly, staring at the ceiling and toying with the soft ears on the stuffed toy until the door creaked open. 

“You’re awake!” Kitty said happily, carefully placing her tray down on the vanity and leaning over to give Catherine a gentle hug. “Mhm.” Catherine was still tired.

“I brought dinner, can you eat?” Cathy appeared in the doorway, and when she spoke, she startled both. “Sorry.” She chuckled, and set down another bowl on Kitty’s tray. 

With Cathy’s help, Catherine sat up and against her pillows, carefully cradling a bowl of soup. Spanish garlic soup. She realized about three bites in. “Who made this?” She asked. “Me’n Cathy. I wanted to try something from Spain cause I thought it might make you feel better.” Kitty’s cheeks were bright pink. Catherine chuckled. “It does,  _ mija _ . Thank you.” Satisfied, Kitty clicked her movie back on and settled into Catherine’s side. 

Catherine woke early the next morning, with both the other C(K)atherines squished on her bed. Kitty was wrapped around her guardian, making little mewling noises as she dreamt. Cathy on her godmother’s other side, looking content. Catherine, comfortable, turned her head to press a kiss to Kitty’s head before closing her eyes. It was early. She didn’t have to get up yet. 

* * *

Now that they knew what to expect, all six queens dreaded the thirteen day of February. If Catherine reacted the way she did to dying of heart cancer, they had no idea what to expect of a beheading. 

Kat couldn’t stay in her room. She could barely stay in the house, the thought of waking up and finding herself enclosed in four walls was suffocating. Thankfully the house had a little sunroom, and thankfully Anna and Catherine understood and helped her drag a cot outside. It was cold at night, winter still lingering in the air, but Kat simply piled as many blankets as she could on the cot and dressed in multiple layers. 

Catherine looked out the kitchen window, where she could just barely see the glow of a flashlight coming from the sunroom. She knew Anna was out there with Kitty right now, but the girl would insist on staying by herself for the night. Jane joined her at the window, cupping a mug of tea. 

“Is she going to be okay?” Catalina shrugged. “I have no idea.” 

Anna kissed Kitty’s forehead and made sure the girl was warm before bidding her goodnight and heading inside. Despite Kat’s insistence, Anna didn’t retire to her room, instead she flopped on the couch and grabbed her Switch. She would be the first one there the second Kitty needed someone. 

It was a few hours later, Anna growing bored of tv and her Switch. She was debating on getting up and making a midnight dinner when she heard the cot squeaking. 

Quietly, she cracked open the sunroom door and shined her phone flashlight in. 

Kitty had gotten off the cot and was kneeling beside it, her forehead resting on an upside down old flower pot that Jane swore up and down she would use. She was frantically muttering under her breath. 

Anna jumped when something touched her elbow, and she whipped around to see Cathy with an empty coffee mug in her hand. 

“How long will she do that?” The final queen whispered. Anna could only shake her head. 

Cathy took Anna’s place in Kitty-watching so the other queen could get some sleep. Cathy sat in the sunroom doorway, sipping her coffee and periodically checking her phone, just to have something to do. Normally, at this time, she would be considering heading to bed after a night of writing or reading, but right now she couldn’t even think of leaving the youngest queen. Not now. Not like this.

Katherine was in a trance, she did not notice the sunroom door opening and closing, did not hear Anna and Cathy’s whisperings to one another. She had to practice, she had to get it right! She couldn’t embarrass him again. 

Kat eventually fell asleep, still kneeling, around five in the morning. Anna had woken up and sent Cathy off to bed, and counted Kat’s slow breaths before getting up and carefully lifting her old friend. She tucked Kat back in bed, making sure Princess Sparkle Bling Bling was close. Finally, Anna settled on the end of the cot, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. 

Jane and Catherine had just settled down at the kitchen table for breakfast when there was a blood-curdling scream and sharp crying from the sunroom. 

Anna tried to soothe Kat, knowing she would not react well if she was touched. But Anna’s knowledge on how to calm someone started and ended with hugging. She was not good with her words. 

Thankfully Catherine took over, bundling Kat in a thick blanket and helping Anna carry her inside. “The neighbors will call the police if she keeps on screaming.” Catherine explained. 

“I know she’s more comfortable outside, but this would be hard to explain.” Anna managed a weak chuckle, plopping the Kitty burrito on the couch and freeing her hands. 

Kat continued to whimper and wriggle until she was free from the blanket. She cried out when Anna smoothed her sweaty hair from her forehead. “Oh _liebling_.” Anna sighed. 

On the second floor of the house, Anne sat at the top of the stairs, hugging her frog plush to her chest and leaning her head on the wall. She couldn’t bring herself to go downstairs, but also could not move from her spot on the floor. She could only listen to Kitty’s awful crying and screaming. 

“Katherine, Kat, you need to wake up.” Catherine kneeled in front of the couch, trapping Kat’s hands in her own. Kat had started clawing at her neck and broken the skin, and now had blood streaming down her chest. Kitty squealed in surprise at Catherine’s touch and tried to pull away. She was still mumbling under her breath,  _ please don’t, I didn’t want to, Henry please _ .

Anna had to leave the room once Kat’s starting bleeding. Normally she wasn’t one to shy away from injuries or sickness, but she was flashing back to that day in 1542.

Jane found her in the bathroom, hunched over the toilet and gagging. Anna flinched when Jane’s cool hand pulled her bangs away from her face and ran a damp flannel over the back of her neck. The blonde hummed as she helped Anna sit up and handed her a glass of water. “Sorry.” Anna mumbled, rinsing her mouth out and flushing the toilet. “It’s okay.” Jane bit her lip. 

“Did you..watch her…” She trailed off. Anna managed a weak laugh. “Yeah. I was there. I had hoped I would be able to talk to her before, I wanted to tell her that I loved her and I knew she was innocent. I didn’t get to.” 

Kitty had briefly snapped out of her nightmares and latched onto Catherine. The elder queen resigned herself to a day of cuddles on the couch, at least until Kitty was awake and functional again. 

The nightmares started up again, and Catherine was forced to step away from her ward. Kat was flailing around, fighting off an opponent only she could see. She wasn’t screaming, she was whimpering and begging. Catherine nearly preferred the screaming, it was less heart-breaking than this. 

Against her better judgement, Catalina moved Kitty into Anna’s room. The girl jumped at every little move, and although Catalina didn’t want her to feel suffocated in a room, it would be quieter. 

Anna lay next to her friend, watching her twitch and mutter under her breath.  _ Please don’t, no, I don’t want to, please don’t tell Henry, Henry I didn’t want it, Henry I love you! _

It was later that night that Katherine finally woke. 

She forced her eyes open, holding her breath until she recognized her surroundings, and the dozing figure beside her.

“Anna?” She whispered, her voice hoarse. “Mhm?” Anna shook the sleep from her brain and flipped on her nightstand lamp. 

“Liebling!” Carefully, Anna pulled Kat into her arms, resting her cheek on the crown of her head. Kat accepted the hug, breathing in deep the familiar scent of Anna.

When Kat’s hold on her loosened, Anna drew away and examined her face. “Stop.” Kat giggled weakly when Anna poked her cheeks. 

“Just making sure. How do you feel?” Kat’s brow creased as she thought. “Hungry.” Anna chuckled and hauled Kat out of the bed. “Good. Cathy has been stress-cooking.” 

“ _ Mija _ .” Catherine greeted simply, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Katherine’s forehead when the youngest queen settled at the table next to her. Kat only made a noise, thanking Cathy when she placed a large bowl of pasta in front of her. 

After her late dinner and a shower, Kat padded into Catherine’s room, Princess Sparkle Bling Bling in her arms. Catherine was kneeling beside her bed, fervent Spanish prayers tumbling from her lips. 

When she was finished with her nightly prayer routine, Catherine stood and stretched with a small groan. “Are you sleeping inside tonight?” She asked Kat. Kat lifted one shoulder and nodded, hugging her bear tightly to her chest. Catherine bit back a fond chuckle. “Do you want to sleep in here?” Kat answered by jumping on the bed and diving under the covers. 

Catherine held Kitty close, slowly drifting off to the sweet sounds of Kat dreaming, the girl making little squeaks and twitching to whatever was going on in her head. Catherine let out a content sigh. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'm really struggling to write about the other queens' deaths lmao. I'm working on it though!  
> Comments make me happy


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